Portable tap valve grinder



May 25, 1965 L. R. BAYES PORTABLE TAP VALVE GRINDER Filed Sept. 23, 1965INVENTOR. fJ/ZZ E. EHI/255 United States Patent O This invention relatesto grinding apparatus and more particularly to a device for grinding tapvalves.

It is an object of the present invention lto provide a portable tapvalve grinder which can be effectively used for grinding the valve seatsof house taps in a simple and convenient manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tap valvegrinder of lthe above type which can be readily driven by a poweroperated hand drill so as to grind such valve seats with a minimumamount of effort.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a portable tap valvegrinder bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, has a minimum number of part-s, is inexpensive tomanufacture and eicient in operation. t

For other objects and for better understanding of the inventionreference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of aportable tap valve grinder made in accordance with one form of thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary Iside elevational view, with parts brokenaway, of a slightly modified form of the present invention in actualuse;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan View of :the assembly shown in FIGURE4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly toFIGURES 1 to 3 thereof, a portable tap valve grinder assembly made inaccordance with one form of the present invention is shown to include amain shaft 12 having an internally threaded opening 14 at one end withinof which a machine screw 16 is threadedly received. The head of themachine screw 16 is provided with an integral sleeve portion 18 whichserves as an abutment for pressure engagement with the bottom surface ofa grinding wheel 24 detachably carried upon the lower end of the shaft12. The upper surface of the grinding wheel 24 is in abutment with thesleeve member 20 having a radially outwardly extending bead 22 at itsupper-most end. This sleeve 20 serves as a guide for engagement with thebonnet receiving flange of a tap valve 50, so as to center the shaft 12during the use of the grinding apparatus. Thus, the upper surface of thegrinding wheel 24 is driven in contact with the valve seat of the tapvalve under the guiding action of the centering sleeve 24J disposedwithin the bonnet receiving flange of the tap valve. The upper end ofthe shaft 12 i-s provided with a rectangular recess 26 within of whichan adapter of a power operated portable hand drill may be inserted fordriving the grinding wheel 24 in grinding engagement with the valveseat.l

With reference now to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the draw- "ice ing, a slightlymodified form of construction 30 is shown wherein the main shaft 32similarly supports a circular grinding wheel 34 at its lowermost end bymeans of mounting means including a machine screw 38 and integral sleeveportion 36. A substantially inverted conical shaped plug 40, having aninternally mounted sleeve 42, is rotatably carried upon the main shaft32. Thus, the apex end of the plug 40 may be inserted into the openingdefined by the bonnet receiving ange of the valve 50 so as toautomatically center the main shaft 32 and the grinding wheel 34 withrespect to the valve seat which is being ground. Accordingly, theresilient plug 40 will remain stationary with respect to the valve tap5t), while the sleeve 42 allows rotation of the shaft 32 therewithinunder the driving action of a power operated hand drill, in the mannerhereinbefore described. The plug 40 thus eliminates the necessity ofhaving to provide a separate sleeve member 20 of ithe type shown inFIGURES I to 3 of the drawing, which must be accurately .made to iit theopening through the bonnet of the valve within of which it is seated forguiding the rotation of the main shaft 12.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I `claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. A portable tap valve grinder comprising in combination a main shaft,said main shaft being knurled over a major central portion thereof,coupling means at one end of -said main shaft for connection to a handdrill, a grinding stone, mounting means carried at the opposite end ofsaid main shaft releasably securing said grinding stone thereupon andguide means carried upon said main shaft inter-mediate said one end andsaid grinding stone centering said `shaft in coaxial relationship with avalve seat of a valve ibeing ground, said coupling means comprising anon-circular recess in one said end of said main shaft for receiving anadaptor of a power operated portable hand drill and said mounting meanscomprising a machine screw having a sleeve integrally mounted upon thehead thereof for abutment with one outer side of said grinding wheel formaintaining -said grinding wheel in assembled relationship with saidshaft, and said guide means having an outwandly extending head at itsend which is opposite the end adjacent said grinding wheel.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said guide means`comprises a sleeve rotatably carried upon said main shaft in abutmentwith the opposite side of said grinding stone, said sleeve beingreceived Within the central opening of the valve bonnet for maintainingsaid grinding wheel in concentric relationship with the valve beingground.

3. A portable tap valve grinder comprising, in combination, a mainshaft, said main shaft being knurled over a major central portionthereof, coupling means at one end of said main shaft for connection toa hand drill, a grinding stone, mounting means carried at the oppositeend of said main shaft releasably securing said grinding stone thereuponand guide means carried upon said main shaft intermediate said one endand said grinding stone centering said shaft in coaxial relation-shipwith a valve seat of a valve being ground, said coupling meanscomprising a non-circular recess in one said end of said main shaft forreceiving an adaptor of a power operated portable hand drill and saidmounting means comprising a. machine screw havinga sleevev integrallymounted upon the head thereof for abutment with one outer side of saidgrinding Wheel for maintaining said grinding wheel in assembledrelationship With said shaft, said guide means comprising an invertedconical shaped plug rotatably `carried upon said main shaft, the apexend of said plug being friotionally securable Within the opening denedby the bonnet receiving ange 0f a valve being ground and securingsaidmain shaft and said grinding stone in concentric relationship with thevalve-seat being ground.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTSk LESTER M.SWINGLE, Primary Examiner'. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Examiner.

1. A PORTABLE TAP VALVE GRINDER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A MAIN SHAFT,SAID MAIN SHAFT BEING KNURLED OVER A MAJOR CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF,COUPLING MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID MAIN SHAFT FOR CONNECTION TO A HANDLEDRILL, A GRINDING STONE, MOUNTING MEANS CARRIED AT THE OPPOSITE END OFSAID MAIN SHAFT RELEASABLY SECURING SAID GRINDING STONE THEREUPON ANDGUIDE MEANS CARRIED UPON SAID MAIN SHAFT INTERMEDIATE SAID ONE END ANDSAID GRINDING STONE CENTERING SAID SHAFT IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH AVALVE SEAT OF A VALVE BEING GROUND, SAID COUPLING MEANS COMPRISING ANON-CIRCULAR RECESS IN ONE SAID END OF SAID MAIN SHAFT FOR RECEIVING ANADAPTOR OF A POWER OPERATED PORTABLE HAND DRILL AND SAID MOUNTING MEANSCOMPRISING A MACHINE SCREW HAVING A SLEEVE INTEGRALLY MOUNTED UPON THEHEAD THEREOF FOR ABUTMENT WITH ONE OUTER SIDE OF SAID GRINDING WHEEL FORMAINTAINING SAID GRINDING WHEEL IN AS-